Spring clip fastener



Nov. 10, 1959 1 w. w. MCMULLEN P 2,911,693

SPRING CLIP FASTENER Original Filed April 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Shea?l 1 5a v2i Y@ l( r` :i ,J is 32 20 y l J a A l I0 f f2 l i9 l A P i; fa z# f ni) 3'6" v 23 VENTOR ATTORNEY Nov.. l0', 1959 w. w. McMuLLEN SPRING CLIPFASTENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed April 8, 1953 n n ATTORNEY 2,911,693 kPatented Nov. 10, 1959 SPRING CLIP FASTENER Wesley W. McMullen,Flint, Mich., assiguor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., acorporation of Delaware Original application April 8, 1953, Serial No.347,554,

now Patent No. 2,779,431, dated January 29, 1957. 1 )1- vided and thisapplication September 30, 1955, Serial No. 537,734

1 Claim. (Cl. 24-73) another.^

Devices which are subject to unusually severe operating conditions andwhich include removable parts, require fastening means which willsecurely retain the removable parts against accidental withdrawal andyet will permit easy removal and replacement when desired.

-ln air cleaners, for example those used with-earth moving,construction, farm, military and other heavyduty equipment, and whichinclude a removable filter cartridge required to be frequently replacedon the job, it is desirable to have means for securely retaining theiilter cartridge within the cleaner which will also permit rapid andeasy removal and replacement of the cartridge member when required.

It is here proposed to provide fastening means which will serve theaforementioned general purpose and also the specific purpose with regardto removable filter cartridges used with air cleaner assemblies.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an air cleaner partially brokenlaway and cross-sectioned to more clearly g show the removable filterelement and the baiiiing and fastening means embracing the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View of the air cleaner as taken in theplane of line 2-2 of Figure 1, viewed in the direction of the arrowsthereon.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the air cleaner showing inmore detail the means employed for removably securing the filter elementwithin the air cleaner.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the fastener adapted to be secured tothe air cleaner for removably securing the filter element therein.

The air cleaner inthe accompanying drawings includes a filter housing 18formed by a cylindrical shell 28 disposed about and secured to a sleeve14 which in the present instance and for the convenience of manufactureis made of sections 15 and 17. The sleeve 14 is enlarged at one end 26to form part of the housing and the remainder of the sleeve is spacedinwardly from the cylindrical shell 28 to form an annular inlet passage16. The annular passage 16 communicates with a plurality of openings 30formed through the cylindrical shell 28 to provide for the induction ofair into the passage and through the filter housing.

The sleeve 14 of the filter housing 10 has filter elements 18 and 20positioned therein adjacent one another. The filter element 1S is formedof material loosely wound or collected to form a filter body disposedwithin the sleeve 14 near the upper end thereof. The other filterelement 2l) is formed as a filter cartridge 312 adapted to be removablysecured within the lower end of the sleeve 14.

Spring fasteners or resilient elements 36 lare adapted to be secured tothe sleeve 14 to removably secure the cartridge 32 within the sleeve.The fasteners 36 are formed from spring plate members 38 reversely bentto provide two substantially parallel legs 40 and 42 adaptedv to receiveand engage the endv 34 of the sleeve 14. Apertures 44 are formed throughthe sleeve 14 at positions around the sleeve Where the fasteners are tobe secured. Tabs 46 are struck from the legs 40 of the fasteners towardthe legs 42 and are extended through the apertures 44 in the sleeve tosecure the fasteners thereto. Tongues 48 also are struck from the legs40 in such a way as to extend into the sleeve 14. Tongues 48 engage anannular shoulder Si)I formed about the cartridge 32 to secure thecartridge in removable vposition Within the sleeve 14.

adapted to be fastened to the filter housing 10 adjacent the end 34 ofthe sleeve 14 and inv spaced relation to the cartridge 32. Although anysuitable fastening means may be used to hold the liquid container 12 inengagement with thefilter housing 1t), in this instance toggle clamps 66are adapted to engage an outwardly turned flange 62 formed on the liquidcontainer 12 and `tol hold the ange in engagement with an annular gasket64 secured within the housing 10. The liquid container 12 is formed toprovide an inwardly projecting shoulder 52 on which a baiiie plate 22 ismounted. The baiiie plate 22 is formed to provide an annular pan 23about the liquid container 12 which slopes upwardly at its inner edgetowards the filter cartridge 32 as is indicated at 54.

A baffle disc 24 is centrally secured to the filter cartridge 32 and issloped downwardly and outwardly therefrom toward the inner edge of thebaffle plate 22. A plurality of spaced projections 56 are formed on theouter edge of the baffle disc 24 and are adapted to engage the flangedinner edge of the baille plate 22 to provide a plurality of outletopenings 58 between the baes and to support the filter cartridge 32 andbaiiie disc 24 in spaced relation to the baiiie plate.

The liquid container 12 is formed to provide a sump 25 adapted tocontain a liquid at a level 59. The liquid covers the baiiie plate 22and is adapted to iioW through an aperture 60 formed in the baffle plateto fill the annular pan 23.

Assuming that the liquid container 12 is removed and that the filterelement 18 is disposed within the filter housing 10, the cleaner isassembled by securing the fasteners 36 to the end 34 of the sleeve 14and by placing the cartridge 32 Within the sleeve in engagement with thefasteners. The liquid container 12 is then filled with liquid andpositioned against the iilter housing 10 in such a way that the baffleplate 22 engages the baille disc 24 and the flange 62 of the container12 engages the gasket 64 of the filter housing 10. The fasteners 36,cartridge 32, and baiiies 22 and 24 are held in secure engagementagainst excessive shocks and vibrations which normally tend to causerattling and disassembly by means of toggle clamps 66 firmly securingthe liquid container 12 to the filter housing 10.

The air cleaner is adapted to be installed on an engine or otherapparatus by connecting the air outlet opening 68 formed through thefilter housing 10 to the air intake side of I.such apparatus. Air entersthe intake openings 30 ofthe air cleaner and flows into the inletpassage 16, then downwardly against the pan 23 and upwardly into thefilter elements 20 and 18 housed in the sleeve 14. The air travelingthrough the inlet pas- 3 sage 16 strikes the liquid lled pan 23 anddeposits in the liquid some of the dirt and foreign matter carried inthe air, The force of the air also causes the liquid in the pan 23 toflow up the sloping portion 54 of the baille plate 22 and to strike thebafe disc 24. The bafe disc 24 directs the liquid and dirt through theoutlet openings 58 formed between the bales 22 and Z4 and into theliquid sump 25. The dirt and foreign matter in the liquid settles to thebottom of the sump 25 allowing the cleaner liquid to llow through theaperture 60 and into the pan 23, The air directed upwardly from theliquid lled pan 23 carries some liquid into the filter elements 20 `and18 where the remainder of the dirt andy the entrained liquid areseparated out. The liquid collected in the lter elements 20and 18returns by gravity through filter elements andtlows across the bale disc24 carrying dirt and foreign matter through the openings 58 and into theliquid sump 25.

Continuous operation and use of the air cleaner causes the filterelement 20 to become lled with dirt and necessitates cleaning orreplacing the cartridge 32. The toggle clamps 66 then may be released toallow the liquid container 12 to be removed and the filter cartridge 32'to be pulled from the sleeve 14 and replaced by a cleaner ond legsextending in the same direction and disposed on opposite sides of one ofsaid parallel members and yieldably biased toward each other, said firstleg being disposed between said parallel members and said second legbeing disposed on the opposite side of said one member from said rstleg, a tab and a tongue formed from said rst leg and bent in oppositedirections ont of the plane thereof to provide a single opening throughsaid first leg and said tab being at one end of said opening and saidtongue `at the other end thereof, said tab extending toward said secondleg and provided with a deformation engageable with a correspondingdeformation on said one parallel member disposed between said first andsecond legs and said tongue extending toward the other of saidsubstantially parallel members for engagement therewith, and said secondleg having a continuous uninterrupted surface to frictionally engage oneside of lsaid one member disposed between said legs and retain saidfastener device thereon.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS642,442 Goff Jan. 30, 1900 2,115,312 Lombard Apr. 26,1938 V2,295,444Woodward Sept. 8, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 990,931 France June 13, 19511,027,430 France Feb. 18, 1953

